Thursday, April 3, 2008

Stressful Relaxation (What an oxymoron!)

Stress has always been a strange concept for me to grasp. I am (usually) a very relaxed person. However, there have been times when I was completely stressed even if my surroundings were amazingly relaxed.

For example, when I am stressed over a project or the large amount of homework awaiting me as I venture forth into the land of home, I try to calm myself. This calming process never ceases to amaze me because of its ability to backfire.

Over the years, I've collected a bunch of ways to stress over something that is usually mundane. This Stressful Relaxation is a real nuisance.

Making a cup of tea is usually tedious work, right? When you are in a stressful mood, making a cup of tea can end in glaring at the kettle and willing it to boil. As the kettle refuses to scream because you have forgotten to plug it in, your stress level has a tendency to rise.

This evening, I would like to apologize to a few of my friends (they know who they are) because of my involvement in creating Stressful Relaxation in their afternoon.

Hugs are typically very positive actions. I find that a hug can cheer up any gloomy face, and makes the hugger feel happy as well. Even so, hugging someone who obviously has fifteen things on their mind can leave both the hugger and refuser-to-hug feeling empty and perhaps even more annoyed.

Talking to a person who has refused a hug from Meg is generally a good thing to do. They must have lost their marbles for such a thing to happen. Yet, talking to a stressed person while they are trying to unlock their locker lock is a particularly stupid thing to do, even for me.

Therefore, I apologize. I know how it is when things pile on top of themselves. Things can get out of hand. Stress is a horrible, terrible thing. Unfortunately, trying to dismantle a stressful day can be a stressful job. I think that is why Stressful Relaxation exists.

The truth is, when your mind is stuck with stress, there is not many things you can do to counteract it.